When To End a Tank's Life???

[LeadTurn_SD]

I'll be diving my 1978 Luxfer Al80 this weekend..... yes it is the "bad" alloy..... luckily, I, and the dive shop owner, have been diving longer than the tank is old. If it continues to pass hydro, and continues to pass visual, the dive shop will fill it, and I will dive it.... when it doesn't, I'll (sadly) make a lamp out of it.

Best wishes.

 

[Garrobo]

At the fire extenguisher place where I got my Catalinas hydro'ed last year, the guy who did the work told me that they won't even let one of the old Luxfers through the front door.

 

[Nemrod]

Last year when I took a road trip through Florida on my wreck and reef Flariduh Festivus, I took two LP85s twinned, two steel 72s, two newer aluminum 80s. My LP85s, Faber, brand new, had old fashioned Voit decals on them, several shops refused to fill my steel 72s, several refused to fill the Faber LP85s because they "looked" old and this began in Alabama at Gulf Shores and continued all the way to Key West.

Good luck getting the old pre-89 6351 tanks and even some steel 72s filled, many retail stores simply refuse and there is no arguing with them and it is not worth the negative vibes IMO.

N

 

[elmer fudd]

I've never had a problem getting LP72's filled. I see plenty of others left for fills complete with their old J-valves.

AL80's are another matter. I'm pretty sure I could get them filled regardless, but not at the usual shop I go to. They won't touch any aluminum tanks made before 1990. The thing is, I don't really want any AL80's anyway. LP72's are just as cheap, smaller and have better buoyancy characteristics.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Last year when I took a road trip through Florida on my wreck and reef Flariduh Festivus, I took two LP85s twinned, two steel 72s, two newer aluminum 80s. My LP85s, Faber, brand new, had old fashioned Voit decals on them, several shops refused to fill my steel 72s, several refused to fill the Faber LP85s because they "looked" old and this began in Alabama at Gulf Shores and continued all the way to Key West.

Good luck getting the old pre-89 6351 tanks and even some steel 72s filled, many retail stores simply refuse and there is no arguing with them and it is not worth the negative vibes IMO.

N

Wow that sucks!

Before I started the restoration on my latest '59 72 I cleared it with my LDS to see if they would fill a 1/2" pipe thread J valve tank and they said "sure no problem". They will do an initial low pressure fill and soap spray test around the threads and if everything looks good they'll fill er up. :cool2:
It helps that a few of the guys at the LDS are semi vintage afficionados and always want to know how my latest double hose dive went.

 

[AfterDark]

I've got a "bad" AL80 tank from 84. Just passed hydro. I'll be letting it go when the Hydro is due again. I perfer steel of which I own 3 with another on the way, so the AL80 will be no loss. The testing on these era AL80's will get progressively tougher until none of the tanks will pass. One of the LDS I go to won't fill it. Hopefully scrap AL prices will be higher in 4 1/2 years.

 

[DaleC]

I had a deal with myself that I would retire my 6351's when I gained replacements for them naturally (rather than running out and buying some right off the bat). Finally did that this spring. Like ZKY I dive St72's for the most part now and like em. I still have a 1987 Catalina (6061 alloy) though and see no reason to scrap it (if it continues to pass vis/hydro).

That Hans person quoted in the OP sounds a little "questionable" to me (and I'm being polite). Seems to be abnormally afraid of Al no matter the alloy yet somewhat laxidaisical about rusting St. It reads more like a persuasion piece based on "feeling" instead of fact. And don't you just love it when some stranger tells you that throwing out your perfectly servicable 10 year old 6061 tanks is "financially bearable".

 

[Nemrod]

Wow that sucks!

Before I started the restoration on my latest '59 72 I cleared it with my LDS to see if they would fill a 1/2" pipe thread J valve tank and they said "sure no problem". They will do an initial low pressure fill and soap spray test around the threads and if everything looks good they'll fill er up. :cool2:
It helps that a few of the guys at the LDS are semi vintage aficionados and always want to know how my latest double hose dive went.

Like I said, I had serious problems getting steel 72s filled. I had brought them for beach dives because they are lighter than the 80s or steel LP 85s. The store, Extreme Exposure filled my tanks as they had in the past, Ginnie Springs filled them, Brownies also filled my tanks and were very nice, no other shop I stopped at in my nearly one month excursion would fill a steel 72. Sorry. I am sure there are many that will but it is clear a whole bunch will not and as a traveler on the road, how would I know, not in the Tom-Tom, it was a PITA.

N

 

[Dyno Bill]

I never end a tanks life, when it fails hydro I cut the bottom off and make a bell, got several now after a long many years

 

[Garrobo]

Dynobill: Great idea.